The Beginning of a Journey
by JuliaSakura123
Summary: This is the land of Flandrine, where magic has lived on for centuries. War has made little impact on the royal family, their citizens, and the creatures that inhabit the land, for the kingdom is always peaceful with kind rulers sitting on the throne for centuries. Until now. A old evil arises and a heroine is born to take on the evil.
1. Prologue

I started this like two years ago. Since then I rewrote it a few times.

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><p>In a few months the crown prince of Flandrine would be announced, but the King had a problem. Usually the oldest son would be named crown prince, but instead the king wasn't sure if his oldest son was the correct choice to continue the kingdom and keep it going in a peaceful direction. So he decided to send his two sons out into the kingdom to interact with the citizens and villagers, disguised as normal citizens, and then he sent out some spies to keep him informed of who is gaining the most favor from the citizens and villagers. When the brothers returned back to the castle after a few months, not knowing of their fathers' plans, they were immediately ushered to the baths to get cleaned up before being escorted to the dining room,where their father and mother were waiting for them.<p>

As soon as the boys entered and were seated, dinner was served and the king asked about their journey even though he already knew about it from his spies. Throughout supper questions were asked and answers were given. By the end of supper their mother wished them a good night and to sleep well and that she will see them in the morning at breakfast. The royal family members all went to their rooms to go to sleep, for the boys were exhausted from the long journey, but the king and the queen stayed up a bit longer and discussed which son they were going to crown and name heir to the throne based on the information they were given from their sons and the spies.

A few weeks before from the announcement of the crown prince and the crowning ceremony all the servants were running around preparing everything and setting up the court yard for the big event. Everyone was busy. Both princes were taken down to the seamstresses to have their outfits made and fitted. The cooks were creating samples for the king and queen to decide on which dishes will be made for the ceremony. Maids and butlers were cleaning the castle to make it shine like it was newly built. Invitations to nobles and high ranking officials from villages and cities were written and sent. The Captain of the Guard told all the soldiers that they are on active duty as soon as the first guest arrives and assigned groups of four and positions of where to guard and when. Citizens and villagers from all over the kingdom traveled to be able to hear who the crown prince would be and to see the crowning ceremony.

The day of the announcement and crowning ceremony came and went, and everyone who traveled to the castle and the main city left to return to their lives. Everyone was happy with the new crown prince. All but one. The eldest son demanded to know why his father had chosen his younger brother instead of him. The answer he received made him even angrier and he said that the throne was supposed to be his and that it was his birth right since he was the eldest son. After that confrontation the eldest son left a note that said:

'This isn't the end. That throne belongs to me, little brother! Mark my words you will regret taking the crown from me!'

The king sent soldiers to look for his son but they all came back with nothing. In their chambers, the queen wept and the crown prince comforted her, both asking, "Why did you leave us?" A few months after the eldest son left the queen died with a weary heart, marking a long week of mourning throughout the kingdom for their beloved queen. The crown prince soon fell in love with a girl, who eventually returned mutual feelings, not caring for the riches she will gain or the title of queen but the fact that he kept courting her even after weeks of rejecting his gifts. After a couple more years the prince and soon to be princess learned more of each other and fell more in love, eventually the two got engaged, and the kingdom rejoiced at the fact that there would be a wedding soon.

Soon after the two were engaged, the wedding was put on hold. The land was calm, too calm. The king feared and felt that something bad would happen, and he was right.

Everyone was surprised when a great army appeared out of nowhere. This army ravaged the land, prompting the citizens to flee to the main city. The main city gates closed and locked as soon as the last refugees came through. Inns were full to the maximum, homes were opened to refugees, soldiers from the palace poured into the city and out the gates to keep the pending danger from getting even closer.

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, and the main city had been abandoned and destroyed by the villagers and the citizens agreeing that all food and water are to be transported to the palace and everything else destroyed so the things left behind won't be used against them. Everyone who can be of some use were put to work, children were to help with serving food and water, females were taught to be healers and to fight, mainly defense, in case something happen, males taught to fight and defend their family and homes. Food was mostly given to the children, pregnant mothers, and the elderly, the rest of the people ate only when necessary. Information came to the castle once a week to keep everyone informed of what's happening or asking for backup.

By the end of the twelfth month, the king decided that the war must end. It was damaging the kingdom too much. Everyone got motivated at the fact that if the war ends and they won they can see their family again if they survive and got ready to leave. Children, after hearing the news, held on tight to their remaining family members knowing that this might be the last time they see them. The king decided that they have the rest of the day to get ready and be with their families before leaving the next day for the final battle.

Every adult left in the castle minus a few cooks and servants and the girl engaged to the prince would be going to the front line, hopefully able to drive their opposing side away from the castle and out of the kingdom. The king and the crown prince split the remaining adults in half to make them smaller and less noticeable. The healers went to where the exhausted healers were while the others went separate ways. Soon the reinforcement joined up with the remaining troops with supplies. When the exhausted soldiers saw their king and crown prince joining them they felt a bit of hope and became motivated.

It was mid-afternoon when another battle started and the king led the attack. Soon enough the enemies were overwhelmed and retreated to regroup, the soldiers cheering as they returned to camp. Evening came when another battle started, this time the crown prince led the army. A few hours after the battle started the enemy squad that was sent was defeated and returned to camp. This pattern lasted a couple of days before the enemy leader was forced to reveal himself to them, and when he did the king realized that it was his eldest son. The older son brought his entire remaining army hoping to win today, but the king had sent for the rest of the soldiers in the camp and had his son lead them to the battle field.

The battle lasted for what seemed like hours with healers on both sides running around tending to the injured soldiers before sending them back on the battle field after deeming them ready to return. It was the next day early in morning with the battle still going on but this time the healers were forcing the injured soldiers to eat and drink while they healed them and rest for an hour before sending them back to the battle field. Soon enough the eldest soon realized he was losing the battle and was running out of supplies in everything, so he had his remaining army and healers to retreat but they were chased to a portal created by a mage just for the purpose of sealing the eldest son and his army to a different land and away, where they could do no more harm.

Celebrating their victory they quickly returned back to the palace and were reunited with their family. The prince decided to hold the wedding on the first day of the New Year, which was in a couple days. People rejoiced at that and eagerly awaited for the New Year to come, for a new chapter to begin.

The day of the wedding came, and everyone was in their places waiting for the guests of honor to appear. A soldier escorted the king to the throne, bowing before he moved to the side. Ten minutes before the start of the wedding the prince and soon to be princess were escorted to the door of the throne room. Precisely at noon the trumpets started to play and the doors opened revealing the prince and soon to be princess, who started to walk down the lane after the prince offered his arm to his bride, stopping before the king they bowed. The ceremony continued without a problem, everyone was happy for the newlyweds, who then took the crown to be king and queen as they were surprised when the now former king announced that today he would retire from the crown. Nine months later, the new king and queen were blessed with a pleasant surprise, a child of their own.

Now, two decades later, a new story begins, and the brother who lost the throne comes back for his revenge.


	2. Chapter 1

It is early in the morning. The golden sun, only just rising above the horizon, casts long shadows that stretch for what seem to be forever. A young girl named Julia walks among the trees, searching for the best berries that will make the best pies with. Her sky blue hair flows in the breeze, and her dress flows behind her. She finds a big bush full of colorful berries, and smiles as she stoops down to fill her woven basket full of them. She occasionally tosses one in her mouth, tasting bursts of flavor as she eats them.

Soon she fills the basket up to the top and stands, satisfied with the berries. She begins the walk back to her village, and soon after she hears voices. Being the curious girl she is, Julia creeps closer to the voices and discovers four men whispering in the cover of the trees. She sees a strange symbol on their clothing, unlike anything she has seen before. She stays and listens in to their conversation, which presents startling news.

"That was close. I fear that completing the plan won't be as easy as we thought it would be." the first man says.

"Let's just get back to the boss and tell him what we found." the second man replies.

"They have grown stronger in the past few years." the third one says.

"Haha! But they are no match for us! The boss, the new king of Flandrine, will wipe out the royals and do it with ease!" the fourth man shouted. The second man quickly turns to him and slaps him across the face to shut him up. And then he speaks to him in a quiet but harsh tone.

"Are you mad! You don't know who could be lurking in these woods. Shut up, you fool!"

Julia stands wide eyed at the scene. Did she hear them right? Do they really plan to murder the entire royal family? Frightened, Julia decides that she needs to get away as fast as possible. She turns to run, but in her haste she trips over the bulging root of a tree. She falls to the ground, groaning as she hits the earth. The basket of berries slips from her hands and all the little spheres spread out in all directions, as if they are running from the imminent danger. She hears footsteps behind her and realizes that the men must have heard her. Seeing four shadows slowly growing as they approach her, she rolls over on her back to face them.

"Well, well, well. Look at what we have here. A little rat," says the man who Julia assumes is the leader of their small group.

"What do we do with her? We can't just let her leave now that she has heard our conversation," the man on the right says.

"We could kill her," the man on the left suggests.

"Or we could have some fun with her. We haven't had much fun for a while. And then, or course, we kill her," the last one says, staring at her.

"Ah, I like that idea. Let's have some fun then, shall we boys?" the leader says as he takes out his knife. "Ha ha, let the fun begin! It's a shame that no one will see your pretty face again after this, darling," he says as the other three men pull out their knives.

The men then surround Julia leaving no room to escape. One of the men reaches out and grabs Julia by the arm. He pulls her up roughly, she yells at him, "Hey! Let go of me you big lug!" Julia struggles against his tight grasp, knowing what goes on in the minds of men like this.

"Ha ha, you're a feisty one. You've got spirit. But I doubt it will do you any good, dear," the man says.

** Someone's POV  
><strong> The woods are quiet and peaceful, just like they always are when I come here. I found this place a few years ago, and I come back here every chance I get. It helps to clear my mind, and I can focus only on my sword and make it slice the air and hit its mark with ease. I've been here so much recently that I seem to know more about this forest and its ins and outs than the village.

I reach for my sword and walk to one of the training dummies I have set up. I unsheathe the sword and stand ready to attack. Suddenly, I hear voices not too far away. I turn away from the dummy, looking for the source of the voices, but see no one.

I slowly walk towards the voices, and after a minute, I peer through the trees to see four men and a girl. Wait, is that Julia? What is she doing here? It looks like she might be in danger. I get in attack position, ready to attack.

** No one's POV**  
>In the shadows of the trees a mysterious man stands watching, waiting for a chance to help the young girl from the evil men. He reaches for his sword that hangs from the scabbard on his back, brushing his dark hair from his face with his other hand, readying himself to attack.<p>

Soon an opportunity arises when one of the men raises his knife clearly going for the kill. The man immediately springs into action and he runs silently and in a swift motion slices the arm of the man who holds Julia. The four men turn around to face the man who so suddenly ruined their fun. Julia uses this distraction and tries to run away, but one of the men sees her and reaches for her, making her fall. She scurries toward the trees, but the man grabs her ankle. Julia yells and tries to hit him, but he soon has her immobilized, held firm in his grip.

The mystery man continues to fight with the other three men while the fourth one has Julia, but soon he takes down the three like they were bugs that he had so easily squashed. Julia sees the three men lying on the ground motionless. The mystery man runs toward the man who holds Julia, and he throws her to the ground to better take on the man coming towards him. The two fight, and after many blows by both parties, the evil man flees with his tail between his legs, screaming, "I'll be back!"

Julia slowly emerges from the trees to find the man who saved her checking the bodies of the other three men for any sign of life. He finds none and stands, putting his sword back in its scabbard.

"Oh. I thought you would have left by now," the man says.

"I just wanted to make sure you were alright," Julia replies.

"Thanks sweetheart, but I'm fine." the man says and his eyes go to the basket in Julia's hand and all the berries scattered on the forest floor. "Was the basket full of all these berries?"

"Huh? Oh, yes it was full of berries until a few moments ago," Julia says as she looks down at the basket.

"Come with me. I know a place in the forest that has berries that are ripe enough for you to pick," The man says and motions for Julia to come with him. She hesitates, but feels safe with the man who had just saved her life.

The two soon arrive in a small clearing littered with berry bushes of all kinds. Flowers are scattered everywhere, and the trees have little white blossoms, giving Julia a peaceful feeling.

"Oh my! This is such a beautiful place!" Julia exclaims.

"I'm glad you think so. I come here all the time to have some peace and quiet from the harsh realities of life. It really is a wonderful place," the man says, smiling.

"I'm glad you showed me this place then. Oh! I should start picking the berries till my basket is full again," Julia says.

"Let me help you. Between the two of us it'll be done sooner," The man offers.

The two start to pick the berries and fill the basket up to the top. After the basket is full the man picks a few more berries and offers one to Julia to eat. He insists that he walk her back to her village in case the man who got away comes back for her. The two make their way through the forest, and finally come upon the village, where Julia stops and turns to the man, smiling.

"Well this is it. Thank you for walking me back. I feel safe with you around," Julia says.

"You're welcome. You should get going and take care of your wounds before they get any worse. I hope to see you again soon," the man says. He bows slightly before turning to disappear into the forest.


	3. Chapter 2

The village where Julia lives is full of beautiful flowers. Wherever you look there are flowers all around. Flowers of all sizes, shapes and color. As Julia walks, some of the villagers greet her, as it is one of the smaller villages and mostly everyone knows each other. There are a few shops in the village, mostly for food and clothing and other necessities. There is an inn near the entrance to the village, and then the rest of the buildings are the homes. A few farms spot the area as well, which provide all the food that the village requires.

An elder tending to her garden stops and looks up when she hears Julia passing by. She gets up and goes to greet the young girl but stops short when she sees the scratches on Julia's arms and legs. Before she can say anything Julia is pulled into the old woman's house. The woman sits her down and tends to the scratches.

"Where did you get all these scratches, Julia?" the elder asks as she tends to the wounds.  
>"As I was out this morning in the forest gathering ripe berries for mother for her to make pies with I tripped over some roots." Julia says, which is only half the truth.<p>

"Just be more careful next time." the elder says as she finishes tending to Julia. "Alright dear, you can go now."

"I will see you later." Julia says as she gets up and walks to the door.

"Say good morning to your parents for me, dear." the elder says before Julia closes the door.

** MEANWHILE IN A MYSTERIOUS PLACE...  
><strong>

A lone figure stands in a large and dark room staring down at a map of the world. His eyes scan the map, then a knock resounds throughout the room.

"Come in." an authoritative voice says.

A creature walks quickly trough the room and stops behind the man looking at the map, who never turned to look at him."Sire. I have news." he says bowing.

"Do not keep me waiting." the Sire says harshly. "Have my men returned from their trip to the mortal world?" he asks.

"Well..." the creature hesitates before continuing, "I do not know the entire story but I will tell what I do know. They were scouting through a forest next to a small village, I believe it is called Florescere. They had found a young girl spying on them and they were going to kill her when a mysterious warrior came out of the trees and killed three of them and severely injured the fourth."

The Sire clutches the sides of the table that the map lays on. He lets out a sigh and then stands tall."Did you send someone to get him back here to recover?" he asks.

"Yes. I told the soldiers that were sent to return as quickly as possible." the creature replies.

"Good. I want all available soldiers searching for those two. The girl knows too much and the man killed three of my best men. I want them brought back here alive. Is that understood?"

"Yes, my lord. I will send out troops immediately." then the creature bows once again and exits the room, leaving the Sire alone.

In a flash of anger, the Sire slams his hands on the table."I will avenge you my friends. I will not let the man who killed you get away with this."

** BACK TO JULIA**...

Julia is just approaching her house when she sees her mother outside tending to the flower garden. Her mother has always had a knack for growing the flowers. Julia goes into the house and sets the woven basket of berries down on the kitchen table before going back outside to greet her mother.

"Hello, mother." Julia says.

"Hello, darling. How were the berries in the forest? Did you get a good batch?" her mother asks.

"Yes. They are very nice berries. And the elder two houses down says good morning." Julia replies.

"That's nice of her..." her mother trails off as she looks at her daughter's appearance and seeing the bandages says, "What happened to you?"

Julia doesn't want to worry her mother about what happened in the forest, so she only tells her part of it."I tripped over some roots on my way back and ended up having to gather new berries." Julia says.

"Well be careful next time, darling. And I do not want you to go into the forest before the sun has risen over the horizon again." mother says.

"What! Why not?" Julia asks.

"I heard from the tradesmen this morning that there were some strangers lurking in the woods. He said that they were dangerous looking men. I just don't want you to get involved with them. I'm sure they are up to no good." her mother replies.

"Oh. So that's why I saw those strange men in the forest…" Julia mumbles.

"Hmm? What did you say, dear?" Julia's mother asks.

"Um, nothing." Julia says. Then she tries to quickly change the subject. "Where is papa?"

"Your father is trying to get a little work done before breakfast. He has been a little behind in his work and the innkeeper needs new shoes for his horse by the end of today."

Mother stands and wipes a few beads of sweat from her brow, and then turns to Julia. "Do you mind watering the rest of the garden for me, Julia? I have to prepare breakfast."

"Of course, mother."

As mother heads to the chicken coop to fetch a few eggs, Julia reaches down and picks up the watering can that her mother left on the ground. She walks over to the well and sends the bucket to the bottom to be filled with water, when all of a sudden she sees a figure out of the corner of her eye.

She turns to see a hooded figure walk behind one of the buildings. She recognizes the cape the figure wears, and realizes that it is the man who saved her in the forest.

Julia leaves the bucket in the well and runs over toward the building, but when she turns around the corner, she finds that no one is there.

"Hmm. I guess it was just my imagination." says Julia as she returns to the well. But she has a nagging feeling that he was really there, and not just a figment of her imagination.

Julia pulls up the bucket and fills the watering can, then heads back to the garden. She waters the flowers, still thinking about the mysterious man who saved her life. Then she is pulled from her thoughts when she hears her mother calling her. Her mother comes out of the house and walks over to Julia.

"Julia, would you run over to the smithy and fetch your father? Breakfast is nearly finished and I want it to be hot when he gets here."

Julia sets down the watering can, saying, "Sure, momma. I'll go get him."

So she leaves the garden and heads to the center of town where her father's workshop is. She reaches the smithy and opens the door to hear the clanging of metal against metal, and Julia sees her father putting the finishing touches on a few horseshoes. He looks up to see Julia and smiles.

"Hello there, my girl! Does your mother have breakfast ready yet? Or are you just here to say hello to your old man?"

Julia laughs and says, "Hello papa. Yes, breakfast is nearly finished. Momma wanted me to get you now so it wouldn't be cold by the time you got back."

"Well then, I say we get back." Julia's father cleans up the workshop and then the pair heads back to the house.

Julia and her father enter the house to a delicious collection of smells. They wash up and then come back and sit at the table with mother and begin to eat. They eat mostly in silence until Julia's mother speaks up.

"You know, I've been thinking, and I think it's about time that we start to think about finding you a few suitors, Julia."

"Do you really think it's time for that, Annamarie? Julia is still a child." father says.

Julia just stares at her mother, not knowing what to say.

"Well Aalus, earlier today I spoke to Lydia and she told me how her daughter is already engaged, and she is the same age as Julia. It reminded me that we have to think about the future. I am sorry if I am rushing you, Julia, but you are growing quickly and you should settle down soon."

Julia nods her head, "Well I guess it makes sense, but do we have to think about it so soon?" She thinks back to the men in the forest, about the plot that she overheard to kill the royal family, and she decides that she has to do something about it. "I want to travel for a while before I settle down. But when I get back, I promise you that I will find a husband."

Annamarie, having finished the meal, leans back in her chair and says, "I think that is a good idea. If you want to travel, it is fine be me. Aalus?"

"That is fine by me, dear. But it is dangerous for a young girl to travel alone, so I think we should send someone with you for protection, Julia. And I think I have someone in mind."

A few days later, Julia is packing a few things she wants to take with her on her travels. Little do her parents know that she is actually traveling to the capital where the royal family lives to warn them of the impending danger.

She walks into the main room of the house to find her mother and father standing, waiting for her.

"Do you have everything you need?" her father asks.

"Are you sure you have enough food and water?" her mother asks.

"Yes you two, I have all that I need." Julia responds.

They all walk outside to see the boy that Julia's father chose to go with her. They walk up to him and her father greets him.

"Hello, Roctes. Thank you for agreeing to accompany Julia. Are you all set to leave?"

Roctes nods and says, "I am sir. Are you ready, Julia?"

Julia realizes that she has heard his voice before. Not from speaking with him in the village, but when he saved her life. She can't believe that it is him, but when she looks at his cape, she knows that it is him. She doesn't say anything, but Julia plans to speak to him about what happened later.

"Yes, I am ready to leave."

Julia says a last goodbye to her mother and father, and then she and Roctes walk out of the village and into the beginning of a journey.

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><p>Note: The name of the village, Florescere, is actually a Latin word meaning, "to flower". It was used as the name of the village to reflect the appearance of the village, which is covered in flowers and foliage.<p> 


End file.
